[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 139 (Monday, July 21, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43159-43162]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-18197]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Guidlines for Architectural and Engineering Documentation

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice sets forth revisions to the Secretary of the 
Interior's Guidelines for Architectural and Engineering Documentation. 
These guidelines are not regulatory and do not set or interpret agency 
policy. They are intended to provide technical advice on how to produce 
architectural and engineering documentation.

DATES: Guidelines are effective on Tuesday, April 1, 2003.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: E. Blaine Cliver, Chief, HABS/HAER/
HALS, National Park Service, United States Department of the Interior, 
Washington, DC 20240-0001 (202-354-2159).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Guidelines are prepared under the authority 
of section 101(g) and section 110 of the National Historic Preservation 
Act of 1966, as amended. The revisions contained herein update the 
Secretary of the Interior's Guidelines for Architectural and 
Engineering Documentation of September 29, 1983 (Federal Register, Vol. 
48, No. 190, Thursday, September 29, 1983, pp. 44731-34).

Secretary of the Interior's Guidelines for Architectural and 
Engineering Documentation

    Introduction. The following guidelines provide more specific 
procedural and technical information on how to produce architectural 
and engineering documentation and outline one approach to meeting the 
Secretary of the Interior's Standards. Agencies, organizations or 
individuals proposing to approach documentation differently may wish to 
review their plans with the National Park Service.
    The Guidelines are organized as follows:

Definitions
Goal of Documentation
Content
Quality
Materials
Presentation
Architectural and Engineering Documentation Prepared for Other Purposes

    Definitions. The following definitions are used in conjunction with 
these guidelines:
    Documentation--measured drawings, photographs, histories, or other 
media that depict historic buildings, sites, structures, objects or 
landscapes.
    Field Photography--photography other than large-format photography 
(usually 35mm), intended for the purposes of producing documentation.
    Field Records--notes of measurements taken, field photographs and 
other recorded information intended for the purpose of producing 
documentation.

[[Page 43160]]

    Large-Format Photographs--photographs taken of historic buildings, 
sites, structures, objects, or landscapes where the dimensions of the 
negatives are either 4'' x 5'', 5'' x 7'' or 8'' x 10'' and where the 
photographs are taken with appropriate means to correct perspective 
distortion.
    Measured Drawings--drawings produced according to HABS/HAER/HALS 
guidelines depicting existing conditions or other relevant features of 
historic buildings, sites, structures, objects or landscapes. Measured 
drawings are usually produced in ink on an archival material, such as 
Mylar.
    Written Data--inventory forms, data sheets, historical reports, or 
other original, written works of varying lengths that describe a 
building, site, structure, object, or landscape and highlight its 
historical, architectural, technological, or cultural significance.
    Photocopy--a photograph, with large-format negative, of a 
photograph or drawings.
    Select Existing Drawings--drawings of historic buildings, sites, 
structures, objects or landscapes, whether original construction or 
later alteration drawings that portray or depict the historic value or 
significance.
    Sketch Plan--a floor or site plan, usually not to exact scale 
although often drawn from measurements, where the features are shown in 
proper relation and proportion to one another.
    Goal of Documentation. The Historic American Buildings Survey 
(HABS), the Historic American Engineering Record (HAER), and the 
Historic American Landscapes Survey (HALS) are the national historical 
architectural, engineering and landscape documentation programs of the 
National Park Service. The goal of HABS/HAER/HALS documentation is to 
provide architects, engineers, scholars, preservationists, and 
interested members of the public with comprehensive information on the 
historical, architectural, technological, or cultural significance of a 
building, site, structure, object or landscape. Placed on permanent 
deposit at the Library of Congress, HABS/HAER/HALS documentation serves 
as a permanent record of the growth and development of the nation's 
built environment.
    HABS/HAER/HALS documentation usually consists of measured drawings, 
large-format photographs and written data that highlight the 
significance of a building, site, structure, object or landscape. This 
documentation acts as a form of insurance against fires and natural 
disasters by permitting the repair and, if necessary, reconstruction of 
historic resources damaged by such disasters. It is also used for 
scholarly research, interpretation, and education, and it often 
provides the basis for enforcing preservation easement. HABS/HAER/HALS 
documentation is often the last means of preservation of a property: 
when a property is to be demolished, documentation provides future 
researchers access to valuable information that otherwise would be 
lost.
    HABS/HAER/HALS documentation is developed in a number of ways. The 
National Park Service regularly employs summer teams of student 
architects, engineers, and historians to develop HABS/HAER/HALS 
documentation under the supervision of National Park Service 
professionals. The National Park Service also produces HABS/HAER/HALS 
documentation in conjunction with restoration or other preservation 
treatment of historic buildings managed by the National Park Service. 
Federal agencies, pursuant to section 110(b) of the National Historic 
Preservation Act, as amended, record those historic properties to be 
demolished or substantially altered as a result of agency action or 
assisted action (referred to as mitigation projects). Finally, 
individuals and organizations prepare documentation to HABS/HAER/HALS 
standards and donate the documentation to the programs.
    The Secretary of the Interior's Standards describe in general terms 
the fundamental principals of HABS/HAER/HALS documentation. They are 
supplemented by other material describing more specific guidelines, 
preferred techniques for architectural photography, and formats for 
written historical reports. This technical information is found in the 
procedure manuals for the individual programs.
    These guidelines contain useful information on how to produce 
documentation for other archives, such as state or local archives. The 
State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) or the state library should 
be consulted regarding archival requirements if the documentation is to 
become part of its collection. In establishing archives, the important 
questions of durability and reproducibility should be considered in 
relation to the purposes of the collection.
    Documentation prepared for the HABS/HAER/HALS collections must meet 
the requirements below. The HABS/HAER/HALS office of the National Park 
Service reserves the right to refuse documentation that does not meet 
these requirements.

Content

    Standard: Documentation shall adequately explicate and illustrate 
what is significant or valuable about the historic building, site, 
structure, object or landscape being documented.
    Guideline: Documentation shall meet one of the following 
requirements for content:

A. Level I

    1. Drawings: a full set of measured drawings depicting existing or 
historic conditions
    2. Photographs: photographs with large-format negatives of exterior 
and interior views; photocopies with large-format negatives of select, 
existing drawings or historic views that are produced in accordance 
with the U.S. Copyright Act (as amended)
    3. Written data: history and description

B. Level II

    1. Drawings: select existing drawings, where available, may be 
photographed with large-format negatives or photographically reproduced 
on Mylar in accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act, as amended
    2. Photographs: photographs with large-format negatives of exterior 
and interior views, or historic views where available and produced in 
accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act, as amended
    3. Written data: history and description

C. Level III

    1. Drawings: sketch plan
    2. Photographs: photographs with large-format negatives of exterior 
and interior views
    3. Written data: short form for historical reports
    Commentary. The kind and amount of documentation should be 
appropriate to the nature and significance of the subject. For example, 
Level I would be inappropriate for a building that is a minor element 
of an historic district, notable only for context and scale. A full set 
of measured drawings for such a minor building would be expensive and 
would likely add little new insight into the growth and development of 
the built environment at either the local, regional, or national level. 
Large-format photography (Level III) would be the more appropriate 
choice for documenting this type of building.
    Similarly, the aspect of the building, site, structure, object or 
landscape being documented should reflect the subject's overall 
significance. For example, measured drawings of Dankmar Adler and Louis 
Sullivan's Auditorium

[[Page 43161]]

Building in Chicago should indicate not only facades, floor plans and 
sections, but also the innovative structural and mechanical systems 
that were incorporated into that building. Large-format photography of 
Gunston Hall in Fairfax County, Virginia, to take another example, 
should clearly show William Buckland's hand-carved moldings in the 
Palladian Room, as well as other views, since Buckland's role in the 
creation of the building is one of the reasons why Gunston Hall is 
considered architecturally significant.
    HABS/HAER/HALS documentation is usually in the form of measured 
drawings, photographs, and written data. While the criteria in this 
section have addressed only these media, documentation need not be 
limited to them. Other media, such as films of industrial processes, 
can be--and have been--used to document historic buildings, sites, 
structures, objects and landscapes. If other media are to be used, the 
HABS/HAER/HALS office should be contacted before recording.
    The selection of the appropriate documentation level will vary from 
one project to the next. For mitigation documentation projects, this 
level will be selected by the National Park Service Regional Office and 
communicated to the agency responsible for completing the 
documentation. Generally, Level I documentation is required for 
nationally significant buildings and structures, defined as National 
Historic Landmarks and the primary historic units of the National Park 
Service.
    On occasion, factors other than significance will dictate the 
selection of another level of documentation. For example, if a 
rehabilitation of a property is planned, the owner may wish to have a 
full set of as-built drawings, even though the property may not merit 
Level I documentation.
    HABS Level I measured drawings usually depict existing conditions 
through the use of a site plan, floor plans, elevations, sections and 
construction details. HAER Level I measured drawings will frequently 
depict original conditions where adequate historical material exists, 
so as to illustrate manufacturing or engineering processes.
    Level II documentation differs from Level I by substituting copies 
of existing drawings, either original or alteration drawings, for 
recently executed measured drawings. If this is done, the drawings must 
meet HABS/HAER/HALS requirements outlined below and be free of 
copyrights. While existing drawings are rarely as suitable as as-built 
drawings, they are adequate in many cases for documentation purposes. 
Only when the desirability of having as-built drawings is clear are 
Level I measured drawings required in addition to existing drawings. If 
existing drawings are housed and preserved in an accessible archival 
collection, their reproduction for HABS/HAER/HALS may not be necessary. 
In other cases, Level I measured drawings are required in the absence 
of existing drawings.
    Level III documentation requires a sketch plan if it helps to 
explain the structure, site, or landscape. A short historical report 
should supplement the photographs by explaining what is not readily 
visible.
    The HABS/HAER/HALS office reserves the right to refuse 
documentation that does not meet these requirements for content.

Quality

    Standard: Documentation shall be prepared accurately from reliable 
sources with limitations clearly stated to permit independent 
verification of the information.
    Guideline: Documentation shall meet the following requirements for 
quality:
    A. Measured drawings: Measured drawings shall be produced from 
recorded, accurate measurements. Portions of the building that were not 
accessible for measurement should not be drawn on the measured drawings 
but clearly labeled as not accessible or drawn from available 
construction drawings and other sources. No part of the measured 
drawings shall be produced from hypothesis or non-measurement related 
activities. Level I measured drawings shall be accompanied by a set of 
field notebooks in which the measurements were first recorded. Other 
drawings prepared for Levels II and III shall include a statement 
describing where the original drawings are located.
    B. Large-format photographs: Large-format photographs shall clearly 
depict the appearance of the property and areas of significance of the 
recorded building, site, structure, object or landscape. Each view 
shall be perspective-corrected and fully captioned.
    C. Written data: Written history and description for Levels I and 
II shall be based on primary sources to the greatest extent possible. 
For Level III, secondary sources may provide adequate information; if 
not, primary research will be necessary. A frank assessment of the 
reliability and limitations of the sources shall be included. Within 
the written history, statements shall be footnoted as to their sources, 
where appropriate. The written data shall include a methodology section 
specifying the name of the researcher, date of research, sources 
consulted, and the limitations of the project.
    Commentary. The quality of architectural documentation cannot be 
easily prescribed or quantified, but it derives from a process in which 
thoroughness of research and factual accuracy play a large part, and it 
acts, for better or worse, as a measure of the integrity and 
reliability of the information. HABS/HAER/HALS promotes documentation 
of the highest quality and the principle of independent verification of 
all factual information.
    The HABS/HAER/HALS office reserves the right to refuse 
documentation that does not meet these requirements for quality.

Materials

    Standard: Documentation shall be prepared on materials that are 
readily reproducible, durable and in standard sizes.
    Guideline: The following material requirements shall be met for all 
levels of documentation:

A. Measured Drawings

    Readily Reproducible: Ink on translucent material, such as Mylar.
    Durable: Ink on archival media.
    Standard Sizes: Three sizes: 19''x24'', 24''x36'' or 34''x44''

B. Large-Format Black & White Photographs

    Readily Reproducible: One print per negative.
    Durable: Photography processed and stored according to archival 
standards; negatives on safety film only; prints on fiber paper, such 
as AZO paper; no resin-coated paper.
    Standard Sizes: Three sizes: 4''x5'', 5''x7'' or 8''x10''.

C. Large-Format Color Transparencies

    Readily Reproducible: One identical black & white negative and 
print per color transparency; one duplicate transparency and 
electrostatic or laser copy per color transparency.
    Durable: Photography processed and stored according to archival 
standards
    Standard Sizes: Three sizes: 4''x5'', 5''x7'' or 8''x10''

D. Written History and Description

    Readily Reproducible: Clean copy for photocopying
    Durable: Archival bond
    Standard Sizes: 8\1/2\''x11''

E. Field Records

    Readily Reproducible: Field notebooks may be photocopied. Photo 
identification sheet shall accompany 35mm negatives and contact sheets.

[[Page 43162]]

    Durable: No requirements.
    Standard Sizes: Only requirement is that materials can be made to 
fit into a 9\1/2\''x12'' archival file folder.
    Commentary. All HABS/HAER/HALS materials are intended for 
reproduction. Some 20,000 records are reproduced each year by the 
Library of Congress. Although field records are not generally 
reproduced, they are intended to serve as supplements to the formal 
documentation. The basic durability performance standard (that is to 
say, life expectancy) for HABS/HAER/HALS materials is 500 years. Ink on 
Mylar is believed to meet this standard, while color photography does 
not (although color transparencies are acceptable, their life 
expectancy is considerably shorter--50 years or less). Field records do 
not meet this standard but are maintained in the HABS/HAER/HALS 
collections as a courtesy to collections patrons.
    The HABS/HAER/HALS office reserves the right to refuse 
documentation that does not meet these requirements for materials.

Presentation

    Standard: Documentation shall be clearly and concisely produced.
    Guideline: The following requirements for presentation shall be met 
for all levels of documentation:
    A. Measured Drawings: Level I measured drawings shall be lettered 
mechanically (i.e., CAD, Leroy or similar) or in a hand-printed 
equivalent style. Adequate dimensions shall be included on all sheets. 
Level III sketch plans should be neat and orderly.
    B. Large-format photographs: Level I photographs shall include 
duplicate photographs that include a scale. Level II and III 
photographs shall include, at a minimum, at least one photograph with a 
scale, usually of the principal facade.
    C. Written history and description: Data shall be typewritten or 
laser printed on bond, following accepted rules of grammar.
    Commentary. The HABS/HAER/HALS office reserves the right to refuse 
documentation that does not meet these requirements for presentation.

Architectural and Engineering Documentation Prepared for Other Purposes

    Where a preservation planning process is initiated, architectural 
and engineering documentation, like other treatment activities, is 
undertaken to achieve the goals identified by that process. 
Documentation is deliberately selected as a treatment for properties 
evaluated as significant, and the development of the documentation 
program for a property follows from the planning objectives. 
Documentation efforts focus on the significant characteristics of the 
historic subject, as defined in the previously completed evaluation. 
The selection of a level of documentation techniques (measured 
drawings, photography, etc.) is based on the significance of the 
subject and the management needs for which the documentation is being 
performed. For example, the kind and level of documentation required to 
record a historic property for easement purposes may be less detailed 
than the kind and level required as mitigation prior to destruction of 
the property. In the former case, essential documentation might be 
limited to portions of the property controlled by the easement 
(exterior facades, for example), while in the latter case, significant 
interior architectural features and non-visible structural details 
would also be documented.
    HABS/HAER/HALS encourages other archives to use the Secretary of 
the Interior's Standards and related HABS/HAER/HALS guidelines as a 
basis for their own documentation guidelines. Levels of documentation 
and the durability and sizes of the items may vary depending on the 
intended use of the materials and various storage and preservation 
considerations. Review of documentary sources and the periodic 
verification of factual information in the documentation are among the 
best means of assuring quality. The reliability of the documentation is 
only strengthened by an accounting of the limitations of the research 
and physical examination of the property, and by retaining the primary 
data (field measurements and notebooks) from which the archival record 
was produced. The long-term usefulness of the documentation is directly 
related to the quality and durability of the materials (ink, paper, 
film, etc.) used to record the historic resource.

    Dated: March 18, 2003.
E. Blaine Cliver,
Chief.
[FR Doc. 03-18197 Filed 7-18-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P